Michael Mutterer
Michael Mutterer has been named the permanent president and CEO at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois, after serving in the roles on an interim basis for the last eight months.
Mutterer, 52, was originally named interim CEO back in October, following the unexpected and shocking death of then-president and CEO Ruth Colby.
Related: Illinois hospital CEO dies following post-surgery complications
Before that transition, Mutterer was senior vice president at Silver Cross. He first joined the nonprofit hospital as vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer in 2020 during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is credited with being instrumental in the guiding the 348-bed hospital’s nursing and clinics teams during the unprecedented time, according to a statement from Silver Cross.
Following Colby’s death, the Silver Cross board used executive search firm Russel Reynolds Associates to assist in a national search for the hospital’s next CEO. The board unanimously chose Mutterer for the role.
“Michael has demonstrated extraordinary leadership throughout his tenure at Silver Cross, and especially in his role as interim president and CEO for the past eight and a half months,” Jean Kenol, chairman of the Silver Cross board of directors, said in a statement. “His superior clinical knowledge, his vast experience across many facets of the healthcare industry and his steadfast commitment to our organization’s mission, vision and values make him the ideal person to lead Silver Cross in this fast-changing healthcare environment.”
Silver Cross, which has been serving Will County and Chicago’s southwest suburban communities since 1895, reported more than $578 million in 2023 revenue and has more than 4,500 employees, physicians and volunteers, according to a spokesperson.
Not a Modern Healthcare subscriber? Sign up today.
Mutterer spearheaded the launch of Will County’s first and only Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit in August 2022 and was instrumental in the opening of a 16-bed observation unit and 16-bed cardiovascular unit in 2021, according to the statement.
Before Silver Cross, Mutterer held leadership positions at several other healthcare organizations, including long-term care facilities. He holds four degrees, including a bachelor of applied science in nursing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a master of arts in clinical, counseling and applied psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago.
The late Colby, who had been CEO of Silver Cross for six years of a 20-year career at the hospital, died in October at age 69 from complications following a heart surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine.
Months later, Colby’s son, David Chodak, filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against UChicago Medicine and Dr. Husam H. Balkhy, the robotic heart surgeon who performed Colby’s procedure. The complaint alleges Balkhy recommended the wrong procedure for Colby and that his negligence led to her death after spending three weeks in critical condition.
This story first appeared in Crain's Chicago Business.
Send us a letter
Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.
